Our Last Night Together
by Seraph2
Summary: Jack meets a girl at Irving Hall. A week later, they spend their last night together before she returns to Greece.


Disclaimer: All of the characters and places from the movie "Newsies" belong to Disney. Spider and Poet belong to me.  
  
A/N: I leave on Wednesday, July 16, for a family vacation and won't return until Monday, July 21, so don't expect any updates or reviews for another week or so. Sorry! I also apologize for any mistakes I made in describing Greek turn-of-the-century culture.  
  
Dedication: This story is dedicated to Maida, an excellent writer and a great friend, and to Zach.  
  
"Where is she?" Jack Kelly asked, gazing worriedly around Irving Hall. It was filled with newsies and their girls, celebrating another beautiful, although hot, summer evening. "She said she'd meet me here at quarter to seven."  
  
"And Spider is never on time," Poet pointed out. "You should know that by now; you met her over a week ago."  
  
"Yeah," Jack agreed. "It's just that this will be my last night with her..."  
  
Before Poet could respond a freckled sixteen-year-old girl with brown eyes and slightly tousled brown hair ran through the front entrance to Medda's and hurried toward the corner where Jack and Poet were standing. "Sorry I'm late!" she exclaimed, her voice touched with a slight Greek accent. "I guess my bath took a little longer than I thought it would."  
  
"It's all right," Jack said. Nearby, Poet rolled her eyes. Jack hated if one of his newsies was late, but, of course, it didn't matter if Spider was...  
  
Spider swatted Poet's arm playfully. "What are you rolling your eyes for?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing," the newsgirl replied, smiling. "I'll leave you two alone now." She drifted off into the crowd, eventually finding a table with Mush, Kid Blink, and their respective dates.  
  
"So, what would you like to do?" Jack asked, turning his full attention to Spider.  
  
"It would be nice to sit down," she admitted. "I'm tired, and I have to get up early tomorrow morning. The boat leaves at nine."   
  
Forcing thoughts of Spider's impending departure out of his mind, Jack took her hand in his and led her to a row of chairs near the back of Irving Hall. From there, they could see the dancing couples and hear Medda's beautiful voice, yet be secluded enough to talk and reminisce without interruption.   
  
  
  
As Spider laid her head on his shoulder, Jack remembered her first visit to Medda's. She had been shy and unsure, a lonely girl in a pretty dress, searching through the darkness of the hall for a seat. There was an empty one next to Jack, and he had cordially offered it to her. A newsie was never one to ignore a pretty girl.  
  
The girl had graciously accepted the seat that night, only to discover a large black spider dwelling underneath her chair. She had leapt up, shrieking, while Racetrack, who was sitting on the other side of her, laughed, and Jack glared.  
  
"How did that get there?" he had questioned furiously, smacking it with his hand and letting the corpse drop to the floor.  
  
"I don't know, Jack," Race had replied truthfully. "It's just a spider, though. Since when are newsgirls frightened of little bugs?"  
  
"First of all," the girl had answered haughtily. "I am not a newsgirl. I'm visiting from Chicago. And secondly, spiders aren't bugs. They're arachnids."  
  
"Whatever you say, Spider-girl," Racetrack had agreed with a smile, and the name had stuck.  
  
Jack and Spider had spent the rest of the night sitting next to each other, laughing at the traveling hypnotist and singing along with Medda's performance. At the end of the night, Jack had helped her from her chair and escorted her to the door.  
  
"I'm sorry, miss, but I don't believe I know your name," he had said politely.  
  
"I don't believe I know yours, either," she retorted.  
  
"Jack," he said, "Jack Kelly. And yours?"  
  
"Elizabeth Theokopolis," she responded. "But I suppose you can call me Spider, since your little friend seems to enjoy teasing me about them."  
  
"Don't mind Racetrack," Jack laughed. "He's not so bad once you get to know him. Anyway, Miss Thea---"  
  
"Theokopolis," Spider repeated. "It's Greek."  
  
"Miss Theokopolis," Jack continued, "Medda's hosting a dance tomorrow night, and I was wondering if you would be my guest."  
  
  
  
"Do you remember our first dance?" Spider asked softly, her melodious voice awakening Jack from his recollections.  
  
"Of course," he replied. "It was only a week ago. I still can't believe that was your first time dancing, though. Don't they have dances in Greece?"  
  
"Yes," Spider said. "But they are only for adults, and I left when I was fourteen. In Chicago, my aunt didn't like me to be alone on the streets after dark."  
  
"How'd you convince her to let you stay in New York by yourself for a week, then?" Jack wondered.  
  
"Simple. I told her my boat was leaving a week ago," Spider replied.  
  
"That was wrong," Jack chided.  
  
"Yes," Spider admitted. "But if I hadn't come to New York a week early, I would never have met you."  
  
"And now you have to leave," Jack said dejectedly.  
  
"Yes. I can't stay in New York forever. My home is in Greece with my father."  
  
"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I just wish---"  
  
Racetrack strolled over, interrupting Jack's request. "Jack, Spot's started a poker game," he said. "Aren't you gonna play?"  
  
"Of course not," Jack replied. "This is my last night with Spider."  
  
"Aww, come on, Jack," Race coaxed. "Just one hand? Please?"  
  
"No," Jack repeated.  
  
"Come on, Spider," Race pleaded. "Tell him to come play a hand with us. Tell him you'll kiss him if he plays."  
  
Spider blushed, slightly uneasy with Race's request. "Go play, Jack," she said.  
  
"Will you kiss him if he does?" Race persisted.  
  
"I'll go," Jack interrupted before Spider could answer. "But I'm only playing one hand." Race cheered and led Jack toward the poker table at the other end of the dance floor.  
  
Spider followed them with her eyes, watching wistfully as Jack joined his comrades at the table. Noticing her forlorn expression, Poet, who had also been abandoned for the poker game, walked over and sat down next to Spider.  
  
"You're really going to miss him, aren't you?" she asked.   
  
Spider nodded. "It's strange," she said. "It's only been a week, but when I leave, I'm going to miss him so much. I'll probably never see him again." Spider began to sob, and Poet hugged her, letting the tears fall onto the shoulder of her dress.  
  
As soon as word spread through the hall that Spider was crying, Jack hurried back. "What's the matter?" he asked anxiously. "Are you all right?" Poet stood, letting Jack take her seat. Spider rubbed her eyes, nodding.  
  
"Yeah...I'm fine," she said, her voice still choked with sadness, her face covered in salty tears. "It's just...I'm going to miss you."  
  
Jack hugged Spider, wrapping his strong arms around her, enveloping her in safety and comfort. "I'll miss you too," he whispered into her ear. "More than you could ever imagine."   
  
As Spider nestled into Jack's arms, she felt a drop land on her forehead. She looked up into Jack's eyes, only to see that he, too, was crying. She wrapped her arms around him tighter, praying that their hug would never end. Slowly, Jack brought his lips toward her face.  
  
"Look, Race and Poet are dancing," Spider said quickly, turning her head away. Her face reddened once more.  
  
Jack laughed a little. "Yeah, they are," he agreed, glancing quickly up at Racetrack and his beaming partner. Then he turned back to face Spider. "So, you've really never kissed anyone before?" he asked, smiling.  
  
"No," Spider replied. "Have you?"  
  
"Yeah," Jack acknowledged. "A couple times." Once again, he moved his lips toward Spider's, and this time, she didn't turn away. 


End file.
